Game apparatus



June 22, 1937. n- 2,084,497

GAME APPARATUS Filed March 14, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 5/ 43 [Pa/ale K/Yaz'tZa/ui 34 BY 3 I KM T fl/S ATTORNEY;

June 22, 1937. F. K. MAITLAND GAME APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 14, 1955 INVENTOR. Ban/c K/Yaitland BY M F ///5 ATTORNEYS Patented June 22, 1937 PATENT OFFICE GAME APPARATUS Frank K. Maitland, Hermosa Beach, Calif., as-

signor to Fred C. McClellan, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 14, 1935, Serial No. 11,084

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a game apparatus. It is an object of this invention to provide an improved game apparatus, which is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction and efficient in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including an inclined playing board pro" vided with a ball seat and having an annular row of ball exit openings therein circumferentially arranged relative to said ball seat; and means including a device actuated by a ball entering upon said ball seat for successively moving balls from said ball seat into said exit openings. V

Other objects will appear hereinafter. The invention consists in the novel combina tion and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

7 The invention will be best understood by reference' to the accompany drawings, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a game apparatus embodying a preferred form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is atop plan view, on line 33 in Fig. 2, of certain parts of the operating mechanism embodied in the new game apparatus;

/ Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of an electromagnetic circuit embodied in the invention;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of another electromagnetic circuit embodied in the new apparatus; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view on line 6-6 in Fig. 2.

A game apparatus embodying a preferred form 0 of the present invention is shown in the drawings, is therein generally indicated at I0, and comprises a cabinet II which includes an inclined playing board I2.

The inclined playing board I I is provided with 45 an annular row of ball exit openings I3 (Figs.

1 and 2), and arranged upon the inclined playing board I2 around the row of ball exit openings I3 is a guide rail 52 (Figs. 1 and 2). Arranged in the cabinet I I below the inclined play- '5 ing board I2 is a slidable panel or ball-retaining member I4 (Fig. 2) Mounted upon the inclined playing board I2, within a slot 53 which is formed in slidable panel I4, are a pair of normally spaced electrical contacts I5I6. These contacts I5I6 55 are embodied in an electromagnetic circuit I'I (Fig. 5), which also includes a solenoid I8, this solenoid I8 being mounted in a cabinet II upon the bottom wall 52 thereof.

Mounted above, and adapted tobe attracted by, the solenoid I8 is a pivotal member I9, this member I9 being pivotally mounted between its ends, as at 26, upon a support 2| and being normally urged in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 2) by a spring 22.

Carried by the pivotal member I 9 is a latch 10 23, the upper end portion 24 of this latch arm 23 being adapted to latchingly engage in an opening 25 which is formed in a pulley or sheave 26 which is rotatably mounted in the cabinet II upon an upright bearing post 21, the bearing post 21 being mounted on the bottom floor 52 of the cabinet I I (Fig. 2).

Working around the pulley or sheave 26 is an endless power transmitting element or belt 28 and this belt 28 also works around a smaller 20 pulley or sheave 29 which is mounted upon a vertical shaft 30, the vertical shaft 30 being mounted in the cabinet ll upon the bottom floor 52 thereof (Fig. 2).

Carried by the vertical shaft 30 is a ratchet 25 3| (Figs. 2 and 6) and engageable with this ratchet 3| is a pawl 32. This pawl 32 is pivotally mounted adjacent the ratchet 3| and has an arm 49 which is provided with a slot 48 and projecting upwardly into this slot 48 is the upper end 30 portion 50 of a vibratory member 5|. This member 5i is adapted to be vibrated by an electromagnetic device 33, which is of the make and break type, and is of conventional design.

The pulley 26 has an upwardly extending flange 35 or rib 35 and engageable with this flange 35 is a laterally extending arm 36 of a vertical rod or shaft 31, this shaft 3'! extending upwardly through the cabinet II through an opening in the ball return runway 46, and through an open ing 38 provided in the sliding panel I4. At its upper end this shaft 3'! carries a dial hand or indicator 39 and this dial hand or indicator 39 has a bifurcated end portion which provides a pair of spaced arms 40; these arms 4!] being arranged above the playing suriace l2 and above the plane of the main extent of the indicator 39 (Fig. 2).

Arranged upon the inclined playing board I2 is a ball runway 4| by means of which played balls may be guided, one at a time, onto a ball seat 42 which is adapted to move the contacts I5 and I6 into engagement with each other when a ball is disposed thereon. For this purpose the ball seat 42 carries a depending pin. All (Fig. 5) which is adapted to engage the contact l5.

Operation When a played ball, propelled onto the upper portion of the inclined playing board M, (by conventional means not shown) enters the runway 4i it wiil travel down the latter and enter onto the ball seat or disc as, whereupon its weight will cause the pin il carried thereby to engage the contact l5 with the contact 15 and thereby close the electromagnetic circuit ll (Fig. 5). This closing of the circuit ll causes the solenoid i8 embodied therein to attract the pivotal latch member l923, thereby moving the upper end portion El i of the latch member 23 out of the opening 25 in the pulley 2B and thus moving the same out of latching engagement with the pulley 25. At the same time, this movement of the latch member 23 causes the lower end thereof to enage the contact 43, (Fig. 2) thereby closing the electromagnetic circuit 3 3 (Fig. 4). This closing of the circuit 34 causes the solenoid 33 embodied therein to vibrate the make and break member 5i-53, thereby alternately moving the pawl 32 into and out of engagement with the ratchet 31, thereby rotating the ratchet $1! (in a clockwise direction, Fig. 6). This movement of the ratchet 3% acts, through the shaft so, to rotate the pulley 221 and the motion of the pulley 29 is transmitted, by way of the belt 28, to the pulley 26, thereby rotating the pulley 2t (clockwise, Fig. 3). This movement of the pulley 26 causes the upstanding flange 35 thereon to engage the arm 36 of the shaft 31, thereby rotating the shaft 36-31 (clockwise, Fig. 3). This movement of the shaft 363l acts upon the indicator hand 39 and its arms it to turn the latter (clockwise, Fig. 1), thereby carrying the ball which has previously entered onto the seat 42 from the runway iii off the same and into the next adjacent ball exit opening l3, wherein it is temporarily retained until the sliding panel it is shifted (left to right, Fig. 2). This movement of the sliding panel I l registers the exit openings d5 therein with the exit openings H3 in the inclined playing board l2, whereupon the balls fall through the thus registered openings 13- 55 upon the inclined ball return runway 66 by which they are returned to a point adjacent the propelling means (not shown).

After the indicator arm 39:lll has moved the first ball off the seat Q2 into the adjacent ball exit opening it, further movement of the member 39Qi3 will carry balls, one at a time, off the ball seat 32 past the ball or balls disposed in the circumferentially arranged row of exit openings it, it being noted that to permit this: movement of the balls the ball exit openings are arranged so that part of their peripheral sur faces project under the annular guide rail 52 (Fig. 1) so that a ball disposed between the arms it of the member 3% may travei past a ball disposed in one of the exit openings l3 but such a ball will overhang the marginal edges of the exit openings l3 and will drop into the next succeeding empty ball exit opening in the circumferentially arranged row of the same.

The indicator and ball-moving member 3-4il makes a complete revolution at each operation and is stopped in its initial position (as in full lines, Fig. 1) by the engagement of the latch pin 23-24 in the opening 25. As the ball is moved ofi the ball seat 42 the contacts i5l6 spread apart under the action of their own resiliency thereby opening the circuit ll, whereupon the resetting spring 22 acts upon the member 19 to pivot the latter (counterclockwise, Fig. 2), thereby opening the circuit 34 (Fig. 4), at 43, and at the same time engaging the upper end portion 24% of the latch member 23 against the bottom of the pulley 2% so that when the opening 25 in the pulley 26 moves into registration with the pin 23 the spring 22 moves the upper end portion 2 1 of the pin 23 into the opening 25 which is provided in the pulley 26.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including a member providing a ballplaying surface provided with a ball seat; a

member movably mounted in said cabinet and having a bifurcated portion normally positioned to engage a ball in said seat, said member being movable over said playing surface for moving balls one at a time from said ball seat over said playing surface; and means including a device actuatcd by a spent or played ball for operating said second-named member.

2. In a game apparatus, the combination of a cabinet including a member providing a ballplaying surface having an anmuar row of ballreceiving pockets formed therein and provided with a ball seat arranged on the circumference of said annular row of pockets; a substantially annular guide rail arranged upon said playing surface above and concentrically relative to said pockets and extending over and above a portion. less than the entire area of each of said pockets; a member rotatably mounted in said cabinet concentrically relative to said guide rail and pockets and having a bifurcated end portion positionable by movement of said second member to engage a ball on said seat and movable over said playing surface within said guide rail so as to convey balls one at a time from said, ball seat into said pockets; and means including a device actuated by a ball disposed upon said ball seat for operating said second-named member.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including a member providing a ballplaying surface having an annular row of ballreceiving pockets formed therein and provided with a ball seat arranged on the circumference of said annular row of pockets; a substantially annular guide rail arranged upon said playing surface concentrically relative to and above said pockets and extending over and above a portion less than the entire area of each of said pockets; a member rotatably mounted in said cabinet concentrically relative to said guide rail and pockets and having a bifurcated end portion movable over said playing surface within said guide rail for positioning relative to said ball seat to engage a ball therein so as to convey balls one at a time from said ball seat into said pockets when said second member is rotated; and means including a device actuated by a ball disposed upon said ball seat for operating said second-named member whereby when a ball conveyed by the said bifurcated end portion of said member lodges in one of said pockets the same will underlie a portion of said guide rail so that subsequently played balls may be conveyed one at a time by the said bifurcated end portion of said member pockets and extending over and above a portion less than the entire area of each of said pockets; a. member rotatably mounted in said cabinet ooncentrically relative to said guide rail and pockets and having a bifurcated end portion positionable by rotation of said member to receive a ball moving onto said seat and movable over said playing surface within said guide rail so as to convey balls one at a time from said ball seat into said pockets; and means including a device actuated by a spent or played ball for operating said second-named member whereby when a ball conveyed by the said bifurcated end portion of said member lodges in one of said pockets the same will underlie a portion of said guide rail so that subsequently played balls may be conveyed one at a time by the said bifurcated end portion of said member past the said first-named ball and into the remaining pockets.

5. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including a member providing a ball playing surface provided with a ball seat; a member pivotally mounted upon said playing surface and movable thereover in a plane substantially parallel thereto into position to engage a ball moving onto said seat and for moving balls one at a time from said ball seat over said playing surface; and means including a device actuated by a ball entering onto said ball seat for operating said member; said member having a bifurcated end portion for the reception of a ball disposed upon said ball seat.

6. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including a member providing a ball playing surface provided with a ball seat; a member pivotally mounted upon said playing surface and movable thereover in a plane substantially parallel thereto for moving balls one at a time from said seat over said playing surface; and means including an electromagnetic device actuated by a ball entering onto said ball seat for operating said member; said member having a bifurcated end portion positionable by movement of said member for engagement of a ball disposed upon said ball seat.

FRANK K. MAITLAN'D. 

